Control panel for fitness machine

ABSTRACT

A control panel for fitness machine includes a control circuit for processing and collecting exercising data, two display units respectively electrically connected to the control circuit and respectively controllable by the control circuit to display exercising data, and two switching buttons electrically connected to the control circuit for operation by the user to drive the control circuit to change the exercising data displayed on the display units.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a fitness machine and more specifically, to a control panel for fitness machine.

2. Description of the Related Art

The control panel of a conventional fitness machine has fixed display frames, i.e., a big display frame and a plurality of small display frames. The small display frames are provided to indicate exercising data such as speed, heartbeat, time, calories, distance, and etc. The big display frame is provided to show the most needed messages for the advantage of good display effect. Because the supplier determines the contents of the display frames of the control panel, the display frames of the control panel cannot meet the demands of all users.

In order to eliminate the aforesaid drawback, a control panel with a switching button for changing the display contents is developed. By means of operating the switching button, the item (message) displayed on the big display frame is changed. For example, the display items (messages) of speed, heartbeat, time, calories, distance, and etc. are alternatively displayed on the big display frame when operating the switching button. However, when wishing to display contents from the first item to the last item, the user must click the switching button several times. Further, because the big display frame can only display one message, it does not satisfy consumers' demand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is one object of the present invention to provide a control panel for fitness machine, which provides multiple exercising messages at a time.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a control panel for fitness machine, which can easily be controlled to change the combination of displayed message.

To achieve these objects of the present invention, the control panel for fitness machine comprises a control circuit for processing and collecting exercising data, two display units respectively electrically connected to the control circuit and respectively controllable by the control circuit to display exercising data, and two switching buttons electrically connected to the control circuit for operation by the user to drive the control circuit to change the exercising data displayed on the display units.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the arrangement of the LEDs in each display unit.

FIG. 2 corresponds to FIG. 1, showing one exercising data display example of the display units.

FIG. 3 corresponds to FIG. 1, showing another exercising data display example of the display units.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a control panel 100 is installed in a fitness machine for viewing by the user and for operation by the user to control the functioning of the fitness machine. The control panel 100 comprises two display units 10 and 20, two switch buttons 30 and 40, and a control circuit (not shown). The control circuit is adapted to process and collect all exercising data, having multiple input terminals and output terminals.

The two display units 10 and 20 are respectively electrically connected to the output terminals of the control circuit for displaying exercising data subject to the control of the control circuit.

The two switch buttons 30 and 40 are respectively electrically connected to the input terminals of the control circuit for driving the control circuit to control the display contents of the display units 10 and 20.

For fully understanding of the structural features and effects of the present invention, the control panel is described in detail as follows:

The control circuit is comprised of a microprocessor. The input terminals of the microprocessor are respectively connected to the switch buttons 30 and 40 and moving parts of the fitness machine. For example if the fitness machine is a treadmill, the input terminals of the microprocessor are electrically connected to the treadbelt of the treadmill to detect the circulating speed, circulating mileage, angle of inclination, etc. of the treadbelt.

Referring to FIG. 1, the display units 10 and 20 can be respectively formed of a LCD. Alternatively, a single LCD may be used and divided into two display areas. LED display means may be used instead of LCD.

In one example of the present invention, the display units 10 and 20 are respectively formed of a respective LED display, each having four display zones arranged in proper order from the top side to the bottom side. The first display zone comprises three *-shaped lamp sets each surrounded by a rectangular frame-shaped lamp set, four 8-shaped lamp sets transversely arranged in line with the three *-shaped lamp sets, a “;” indicator lamp set and a “.” indicator lamp set arranged in between the second 8-shaped lamp set and the third 8-shaped lamp set, a “.” Indicator lamp set arranged in between the third 8-shaped lamp set and the fourth 8-shaped lamp set, and “k”, “%” and “M” unit sign indicator lamp sets arranged in proper order at different elevations behind the four 8-shaped lamp sets. The second display zone is set below the first display zone, comprising a plurality of dot-shaped lamp sets. The third display zone is set below the second display zone, comprising eight*-shaped lamp sets each surrounded by a rectangular frame-shaped lamp set, a “.” indicator lamp set behind the eight *-shaped lamp sets, and “k”, “%” and “M” unit sign indicator lamp sets arranged in proper order at different elevations behind the “.” indicator lamp set. The fourth display zone is set below the third display zone, comprising a heart-patterned lamp set.

The two display units 10 and 20 have the same structure. When operating the switch button 30 or 40, the respective display unit 10 or 20 is driven to change the display contents. For example, in the first display zone of the first display unit 10 in FIG. 2, the three *-shaped lamp sets show the English letter sign of SPD (abbreviation of speed), the four 8-shaped lamp sets show a number (for example, 13.4), and the unit sign lamp sets show the unit sign “K”, i.e., the first display zone shows current speed 13.4 kilometers. The second display zone is divided into two blocks. The upper block is a rectangular array of color indicator lamps that are controlled to show a variable color or brightness indication indicative of current exercising status. The lower block is controlled to show a number (for example, 59:58). The third display zone shows an English letter sign (for example TIME). By means of the data shown on the first display unit, the user knows the current speed and time during exercise.

The *-shaped lamp sets of the first display zone of the second display unit 20 show an English letter sign for example, INC (abbreviation of INCLINE), the next 8-shaped lamp sets show a number (for example, 9), and the posterior unit sign lamp sets show the unit sign “%”, i.e., the first display zone shows the inclination of current exercising status to be 9%. The second display zone of the second display unit 20 is divided into two blocks. The upper block is a loop of color indicator lamps that are controlled to show a variable color or brightness indication indicative of current stage of exercise. The lower block is controlled to show a number (for example, 227). The third display zone shows an English letter sign (for example PULSE indicative of heart beat). The fourth display zone is a heart-shaped lamp set that is controlled to show a variable color or brightness indication/flashing indicative of the status of the user's heat beat (for measuring the user's heart beat, a sensor is installed in the control circuit, and probe means is extended from the sensor and directly adhered to a part of the user's body or set to be held by the user or directly; because this design of sensor is of the known art and not within the scope of the invention, no further detailed description in this regard is necessary). By means of the data shown on the second display unit, the user knows the current heart beat status and the degree of inclination of the machine.

As indicated above, the two display units 10 and 20 show different data about current exercising status by means of numbers, English letters, or signs.

Further, the user can operate the two switching buttons 30 and 40 to drive the respective control circuits to change the display contents of the display units 10 and 20 (for example, changing the combination of data including speed, time, inclination, distance, consumed heat energy, etc., as shown in FIG. 3). In comparison to conventional one single switching button design, the user can rapidly switch the display contents to the desired combination. 

1. A control panel for fitness machine comprising: a control circuit for processing and collecting exercising data; two display units respectively electrically connected to said control circuit and respectively controllable by said control circuit to display exercising data; and two switching buttons electrically connected to said control circuit for operation by the user to drive said control circuit to change the exercising data displayed on said display units.
 2. The control panel for fitness machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control circuit comprises a plurality of input terminals electrically connected to said switching buttons, and a plurality of output terminals electrically connected to said display units.
 3. The control panel for fitness machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said two display units are respectively formed of a respective liquid crystal display panel.
 4. The control panel for fitness machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said two display units are formed of a respective display zone in a liquid crystal display panel.
 5. The control panel for fitness machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said two display units are respectively formed of a respective light emitting diode display panel.
 6. The control panel for fitness machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said display unit is comprised of a plurality of display zones for showing English letters, numbers, and unit signs to indicate exercising data.
 7. The control panel for fitness machine as claimed in claim 6, wherein each said display unit comprises: a first display zone having a plurality of *-shaped lamp sets each surrounded by a rectangular frame-shaped lamp set, a plurality of 8-shaped lamp sets, and a plurality of unit sign lamp sets for indicating the unit sings of “k”, “%” and “M”; a second display zone having a plurality of rectangular dot-shaped lamp sets; a third display zone having a plurality of *-shaped lamp sets each surrounded by a rectangular frame-shaped lamp set, and a plurality of unit sign lamp sets for indicating the unit sings of “k”, “%” and “M”; and a fourth display zone having a heart-patterned lamp set. 